Access cards, such as credit cards, debit cards, customer loyalty cards, security access cards, and building access cards are linked to accounts and enable users to access things associated with those accounts. For example, a credit card enables a user to access a line of credit from their credit card account to make purchases, a debit card enables a user to access their bank account to make purchases, a customer loyalty card enables a user to access their loyalty account to accumulate/redeem loyalty “points,” a security access card enables a user to access restricted information on a computer system, and a building access card enables a user to access physical areas that are restricted without proper authorization.
Mobile device such as personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablet computers and mobile phones may be configured to store virtual versions of access cards. Typically, the addition of a new access card to a mobile device takes about 10 minutes. The process to add a new access card involves manual input of all information. The complete information is then sent to a remote processing server (e.g., a bank) for approval. This process is time-consuming and provides a poor user experience. Accordingly, there is a need for more time effective and user-friendly ways to add access card information to a mobile device.